Golf’s Claret Jug: Corn, champers, ladybugs — and now off to Aussie suburbia

It has been filled to the brim with some of the most unusual celebratory concoctions. Now Cam Smith has something special of his own in store for golf’s famous Claret Jug.

Cameron Smith after winning the British Open.

Ice cream, orange juice, corn, ladybugs, $40,000 red wine, champagne, milk, Guinness, Coke … and now, no doubt, Fourex Gold.

The Claret Jug given to the winner of the British Open may be the world’s most iconic sporting trophy but it has been many things to many people.

Tiger Woods had many drinks out of it but never took it out of his home. Jack Nicklaus revered it to the point where he refused to drink out of it.

Some saw it that way. Most concluded that despite its lofty status it’s still a jug — and perfect for holding celebratory drinks.

Australian golfer Cameron Smith arrives home in Brisbane with the famous Claret Jug from his win at the British Open. Picture: David Clark

This weekend the Claret Jug is off to Brisbane’s Wantima Golf Club, home of the latest winner Cameron Smith who told News Corp the moment would be special to him.

“I just think it is one of the coolest things for a little club like that to have the British Open trophy in its clubhouse,’’ Smith said.

“It’s just going to be unreal. I am looking forward to them having a drink out of it.’’

Sport’s most treasured piece of silverware has seen more late nights and early mornings than a nightclub bouncer, been around the globe from Italy to Ireland, Spain to Sydney and countless destinations in between.

Padraig Harrington let his kids put ladybugs in it and once woke up with it at the foot of his bed, waking his wife to say “look … I won it.’’

Nick Faldo did not consider this silly it all because he occasionally slept with it.

Cameron Smith kisses the Claret Jug after his stunning final round of 64 saw him win the 150th British Open at St Andrews by a one-stroke margin. Picture: AFP

Ian Baker-Finch loved the Claret Jug so much he had four made — a full size replica for himself and wife Jenny and three half-sized replicas done for his caddie Pete Bender, coach Mitchell Spearman and mother and father.

Stuart Cink drank Guinness out of it. He kids drank Coke and he even put a special barbecue sauce in it during a Fourth of July celebration in 2009 before realising at the airport en route to the 2010 Open there was some sauce left in the back of it.

“It made a great condiment holder,’’ Cink told NBC.

“Then I noticed some of it was still in the Jug when I was about to hand it back in 2010. That was some panic and we scrubbed it hard to get it all out. It was the Claret Jug after all …’’.

Phil Mickelson told The Scotsman newspaper he insisted “only the good stuff’’ would be drank from the Jug and that included a 1990 bottle of Romanee Conti which cost $40,000.

Cameron Smith reveals his greatest treasure at Brisbane airport, which is now bound for Wantima Golf Club. Picture: David Clark

The trophy given to Smith is a replica of the real trophy which is kept at St Andrews but one which has its own decorated history.

Open organisers used to give the real trophy to the winner until deciding it was too valuable to let loose in the free world.

Since 1928 the replica has been given to the winner for a year.

If only trophies could talk …

First pics: Smith thrills fans with airport claret jug unveiling

Cameron Smith got a snapshot of the superstar status that awaits him on home soil after his unveiling of the world’s most iconic golf trophy stopped the show at the Brisbane airport on Thursday.

Fans swooped from everywhere when Smith answered a request to show the famous Claret Jug he won for winning the 150th British Open at St Andrews after touching down in his home state for the first time in three years.

Smith, who had carried the Jug as hand luggage, quipped the trophy was in much better shape than it was a week ago after his father Des gave it a special polish in readiness for its first showing in Australia.

Smith’s prime commitment will be playing the Australian PGA championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club from next Thursday and the Australian Open in Melbourne but on Sunday he will attempt to break the record for the world’s biggest golf lesson with his coach Grant Field.

Australian golfer Cameron Smith pictured with his Australian manager Ian Davis (left) arriving home at the Brisbane Domestic Airport and bringing with him the Claret Jug from his win at The British Open. Picture: David Clark

Australian golfer Cameron Smith takes a picture after arriving back in Brisbane. Picture David Clark

Australian golfer Cameron Smith, pictured with Australian manager Ian Davis, was all smiles after touching down in Australia. Picture David Clark

Australian golfer Cameron Smith stops for a selfie. Picture David Clark

The current record stands at 1073 participants which was set in Mexico in 2011 with Golf Australia hoping to attract 1500 or more to the Royal Queensland driving range.

Smith is also looking forward to showing off the Jug to his old friends from the Wantima Golf Club where he was raised, claiming during an interview with News Corp last week he “had goosebumps’’ thinking of that moment.

“I just think it is one of the coolest things for a little club like that to have the British Open trophy in its clubhouse,’’ Smith said.

Australian golfer Cameron Smith with his Australian manager Ian Davis. Picture: David Clark.

The claret jug comes out of its case. Picture: David Clark.

In a small but significant way playing at Wantima conditioned Smith for some of the challenges he faced in winning at St Andrews.

“I think I learnt how to play in the wind at Wantima. You know how it sits on that low lying flat there. That is a pretty good thing to have not only in Scotland but around the world.

“We play a lot of golf (in the United States) on the coasts. Just taking speed and spin off the balls is my greatest asset and that has come from playing at Wantima.’’

Smith, who was wearing a Broncos cap, has missed watching Broncos rugby league games live but catches the action via an NRL App in his home at Jacksonville Florida and regularly tunes in to Fox Sports NRL360 to find out the stories behind the story.

Cam Smith’s father Des Smith celebrates his son winning the British Open with friends at the Wantima Golf Club.

The Wantima regulars remember Smith from his early days as a pint-sized youngster who might not have been one of the biggest hitters now but compensated with freakish touch around the greens with a short game that is now recognised as being without peer.

Smith admits it was working his strong points rather than being distracted by shoring up his weaker suits was the making of him.

“I was never the biggest hitter or most power guy. When I was a junior I had to make up ground around the green. The last four or five years I have put a lot of work into that area of my game.

“Earlier in my career I focused too much on my long game. I have gone to the gym and that has helped me built up but there has been a focus shift to my short game.’’

Originally published as Golf’s Claret Jug: Corn, champers, ladybugs — and now off to Aussie suburbia